Program Management Method for Computer to Which Storage Medium Is Attached, Computer and Storage Medium

1. A program management method executed on a system for processing information on a storage medium having a rewritable area in which programs arc recorded, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining management information on the programs recorded on the storage medium; wherein the management information includes a path name, a substitute path name and environment information for specifying the system in use; displaying types of the programs on a display device so that selection is permitted; updating the management information of a program that is not selected as selection-not-permitted; setting the program that was set as selection-not-permitted so that the program is set as selection-not-permitted, on the display device, based on the management information; deleting the program set as selection-not-permitted in the management information; obtaining information for specifying an operation environment of the system for processing the information on the storage medium; determining whether or not the environment information matches the obtained information for specifying the operation environment of the system; starting, when the environment information matches the obtained information for specifying the operation environment of the system, a program indicated by the path name; and starting, when the environment information does not match the obtained information for specifying the operation environment of the system, a program indicated by the substitute path name.

2. A program management method according to claim 1 , wherein the management information is provided with a validity period of the program, and the method further comprises a step of comparing the validity period of the program with system clock information, in which, when the validity period of the program has expired, the management information is updated as selection-not-permitted and the program is deleted.

3. A program management method according to claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein: the programs are composed of a plurality of files, and information on the files composing the program is registered in the management information; and in the step of deleting the program as selection-not-permitted, the information pertaining to the files is referenced and all the files composing the program are deleted.

4. A storage medium processing system for processing information on a removable storage medium having a rewritable area in which programs are recorded, the system comprising: a processor: a recognizing unit for recognizing information indicating selection-permitted/selection set with respect to each program on the storage medium; a first obtaining unit for obtaining management information on the programs recorded on the removable storage medium, wherein the management information includes a path name, a substitute path name and environment information for specifying the system in use; a display unit for performing display in such a way that only a program set as selection-permitted is displayed in a manner in which selection is permitted; a deleting unit for deleting programs set as selection-not-permitted a second obtaining unit for obtaining information for specifying an operation environment of the system for processing the information on the storage medium; a determining unit for determining whether or not the environment information matches the obtained information for specifying the operation environment of the system; and a starting unit for starting, when the environment information matches the obtained information for specifying the operation environment of the system, a program indicated by the path name, and starting, when the environment information does not match the obtained information for specifying the operation environment of the system, a program indicated by the substitute path name.